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BSA Says 41% of Software On Personal Computers Is Pirated
An anonymous reader writes "Individuals are turning to P2P networks and auction sites in staggering numbers to acquire or transfer illegal software and in doing so are harming the economy whilst exposing themselves to malware, identity theft and criminal prosecution, according to a report from the Business Software Alliance. Beyond P2P and auction site piracy, the report also draws correlations between Internet piracy and the spread of malware such as viruses, trojans and spyware, which often exploit vulnerabilities in illegal software that does not benefit from security updates provided by manufacturers. Although the correlation is not universal, geographies with high instances of software piracy suffer from high instances of malware."
Their first graph (which is in percentages, but they don't label the scale LOL) shows remarkably low rates of malware, and an alleged piracy rate (whatever that is) that is 4-10x higher.
Maybe they should check out http://garwarner.blogspot.com/
BSA+RIAA+MPAA=organizations that make up stories and wait for their fake "facts" to be reused by their legislative bought henchmen.
E
Since the BSA is only concerned with business software, what they probably mean is that 41% of copies of MS Office on home computers are not legitimate copies, mostly copied from work. If those people didn't have a pirate copy of Office, that would probably be using OO.org or some other free equivalent, they wouldn't be paying for it.
(I guess a lot of people have academic versions of Office, and other app;ications like Adobe's suite, and they no longer are students so I guess that makes them pirates too.
Maybe one reason for such a poor correlation between alleged copyright infringement and malware rates is that most who engage in and enable copyright infringement actually do have higher ethics than some companies which deliberately add creepy spyware and malware-like features to their applications in the name of controlling what user's do. Indeed, I wonder if some even explicitly choose copyright infringement sources simply to get spy and malware disabled versions of certain applications.
As a Ubuntu user, I can say precisely 0% of the software on my PC is pirated AND I have no issues with malware, viruses, trojans, etc. (according to ClamAV anyway). In fact, probably 99% of the software I run is free & open source. The only proprietary software I use for the time being is Adobe Flash and the ATI Radeon driver, both legally obtained.
I know we'd all like to say that there is no link between illegally copied software (I refuse to use the word "pirated") and malware, but I'm sure we've all seen instances where relatives' PCs got infected by software downloaded from Kazaa, etc.
What really surprises me is that, when given the choice between maybe catching viruses or getting prosecuted for downloading/installing illegal software and using the free and legal open source equivalent, so many people still choose to download their software illegally. I have to say, as a full-time user and software developer, Ubuntu's offering is really, really well put-together and a pleasure to use.
BSA Says 41% Software On Personal Computers Is Pirated
Well customers choose linux because Apps are easier to pirate. Steve Winfield of Microsoft's anti-FOSS Partner Technology Team (a.k.a. Delta Force) says so. It must be true.
In other news, sources not partnered with Microsoft announce that Microsoft's desktop market share has dipped down to 59%. Between Conficker and Internet banking exploits, it could happen.
Seriously, better check the BSA's definition of 'pirated'. Previous announcements like this turned out to classify any non-MS software as 'pirated'.
Beta is broken and the link to classic doesn't work. Stop wasting our time or there won't be anybody left here.
But 2500 is far less than multiple millions. I don't believe the "pirating" of songs and videos has a large impact on the bottom line of these companies, and I wouldn't care if it did, to be honest, but to say it has no impact is just not true. The question of whether that impact is good or bad is simply a matter of perspective.
"Growing old is inevitable; growing up is optional."
This is exactly how I use my Pirated software.
Through college I had the full version of Matlab/Simulink. I used toolboxes that the school didn't have when doing class projects. I learned everything I could about it and the toolboxes available.
Now, 6 years later, I was able to talk my boss into buying a few extra special toolboxes for the work we do. Something close to $30k a seat a year. Had I never 'pirated' all that software I would have never been able to sell my self to my company, nor sell my company on Matlab toolboxes.
Same goes for Photoshop, Final Cut Pro and quite a few other "Pro" applications that should they be needed, I can put them on a resume.
The personal stuff I use at home. GraphicConverter, etc, I like to pay for.
Octave is NOT an alternative for most of Matlab.
Their Calculation goes like this:
as you can see, they just have to raise their estimates of "how much software a PC needs" a little bit to skyrocket the piracy... also they don't consider people using free software or older versions of software, so all in all their piracy report means nothing more than "we would have wanted to sell THIS much more software!"
The MAFIAA is a bunch of mindless jerks who will be the first up against the wall when the revolution comes
While you're guessing with such precision, why not choose 42% and grab more nerd eyes?
Because pirating software is not the answer to life the universe and everything.
No no no no no.
42 is the answer.
Pirating software is the question.
Such as? If you could give me a good, viable alternative to Matlab, Simulink and the Auto Coding functions I'm listening.
*Everyone* uses Matlab. That level of support does not come cheap. Boeing, Ford, GM, Chrysler, BMW, VW, Benz, Caterpillar, Deere, Cummins, Airbus, Rolls-Royce, Haldex, Samsung. I bet you can't go a day without using something Mathworks helped design. There are some people out there using it for Day Trading.
It is almost to the point that electing to boycott Mathworks is like trying to boycott the i386.
Tools cost money. Good tools cost more money. If I built houses for a living I'd buy a Dewalt. Even if 99% of slashdot scoffed at paying $300 for a 'cordless drill.'